


i bet i know something about you(you don't wanna believe)

by xofrnk



Category: Bandom, My Chemical Romance, The Used
Genre: Abuse, Drug Addiction, Drug Use, M/M, Physical Abuse, Recreational Drug Use
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-10
Updated: 2013-03-10
Packaged: 2017-12-04 20:21:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/714681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xofrnk/pseuds/xofrnk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I don’t have an addiction.” He tells himself “I can kick it any time I want, it’s not like I take them every day.” He says.</p>
            </blockquote>





	i bet i know something about you(you don't wanna believe)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jephaway](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jephaway/gifts).



> from the prompt _Jikey. Two Lovers face an Obstacle together. "What happened to the pills on my nightstand?"_  
>  i might do a sequel i dont know

Jeph only takes one at first, just one whenever he thinks Mikey won’t notice its absence. 

~*~

From there, it grows to only taking one a week leaving Mikey short a total of four pills a month. It doesn’t seem like his boyfriend has noticed yet and Jeph is hoping it stays that way. “I don’t have an addiction.” He tells himself “I can kick it any time I want, it’s not like I take them every day.” He says. 

~*~

The thing is, the Xanax makes him _feel good_. He gets things done when he takes them, puts in more effort at work, isn’t tired when he gets home and can actually help clean up and make dinner. “It’s not an addiction, I’m not hurting, Bert. Mikey doesn’t get mad at me when I take them, I do things right.” Jeph tells his best friend when he asks “I’m not...not you, it’s not an addiction.” He insists. 

Mikey doesn’t notice, not the pills disappearing at least. He can see the dramatic change in his boyfriend and he doesn’t know where the hell it comes from, but he’s not going to complain. It’s nice to not feel like the only one putting effort into their relationship for once. 

~*~

It goes from only one a week, to only one every other day, to three every day. Jeph isn’t sure when it progresses; when it goes from “I don’t have an addiction, seriously.” To “Oh fuck, he’s definitely going to notice that.”. 

Jeph thinks he can swing it, if he takes out a bit from each paycheck he can replace what he steals from Mikey. He’s not sure if the shit they sell on the street is the same as what Mikey gets from his doctor, but he figures it can’t be that different. 

Before he realizes it, all the money he was saving up for ‘pills for Mikey’ becomes money to feed his addiction. He can’t call it that yet, it’s not an addiction, and he can stop any time. Only as he’s swallowing back his fourth pill that day it hits him that he can’t, that even if he tells himself no more he knows he’ll just go out while Mikey’s at work and waste his paycheck on more. 

~*~

A problem arises in the form of being unable to pay rent. They always have enough for rent, with money to spare for groceries and going out with the guys. Jeph thinks the last time they didn’t make rent was when they first moved in and Quinn kept asking for loans. 

Mikey is completely shocked when he gets a knock on the door only two days after rent was due. “Your check bounced.” The landlord tells him “You have until tomorrow to pay me in full or you’re getting your eviction warning.” He says. Mikey is panicking, he thought there was enough money in their account to afford rent, there’s always enough money to afford rent “O-Okay, I’ll have it to you.” He stutters. 

When he gets to the bank, the lady behind the counter smiles a little sadly at him and tells him the actual balance and what the fuck that’s only a fourth of what’s supposed to be there. Mikey can’t tell if he’s pissed off or upset or maybe a mix of both, what the hell did Jeph spend one thousand and two hundred dollars on without Mikey noticing?

He interrogates his boyfriend as soon as he gets home. “Um, Jepha? I, uh, I went to the bank earlier.” He starts, following him through into the kitchen and leaning against the fake-marble counter “The, um, the lady at the bank? She said we only have four hundred dollars in the bank, there should be, um, there should be just over sixteen hundred.” He says, like that isn’t something Jeph already knows “Do you...know what happened to the other twelve?” He asks. Jeph shrugs and shakes his head “The car needed work.” He lies and Mikey makes a face “That...isn’t something you should tell me? I-I think I should know about our car needing repairs, especially twelve hundred dollars in repairs.”. “For fucks sake, Mikey! The fucking car needed to be fixed and I took care of it, is that so fucking complicated to understand?” Jeph snaps and Mikey quickly shakes his head because these outbursts are new but Mikey has learned to expect them. “N-No, I’m sorry Jepha.” He says in reply before he slinks off to their room. 

Mikey borrows what they don’t have from Gerard, promising his brother he’ll pay him back the next month. 

~*~

They don't pay Gerard back the next month. 

Money is tight _again_. Jeph feeds Mikey some bullshit excuse about ‘work expenses’ and slouches off to the bathroom with a mumbled “I feel sick.”. Mikey can’t help but think something is off with him, he always ‘feels sick’ and his eyes look dull, dead. He shakes it off, blaming it on the stress and curling up on the couch to watch some stupid TV show until bed. 

~*~

The next month, Jeph sells Mikey’s bass. He doesn’t intend on telling his partner about the sale, only Mikey catches him halfway out the door with the case in his hand and squints at him sceptically. “Where are you going with that?” he asks slowly, and Jeph shrugs, leaning back against the door frame with a heavy sigh “Was gonna go jam with the guys.” He lies. Mikey knows that’s not true, Jeph would never leave the house looking like he does now “Yeah? Why aren’t you taking yours?” He asks as he takes a few steps closer to Jeph. “I like yours more.” He says, straightening up and taking a few more steps out the door “I’ll be back later, ‘kay? Love you, bye!” Jeph says all on one breath before slamming the door and making his escape. 

When he comes home two hours later, he doesn’t have the bass with him. Mikey doesn’t ask questions, he pretty much accepted something shady was going on a week ago when Jeph flipped on him for asking if he was okay. 

~*~

Everything finally clicks for Mikey when he goes to take his pill in the morning and the bottle is empty. He knows the previous night when he went to bed it was at least half full, enough for the next two weeks before he would have to go fill his prescription again. He doesnt’ know what to say, what to do. Does he confront Jeph about it? Ask him what the fuck happened to half his bottle of prescription Xanax when he knows it was half full last night? 

He doesn’t have to decide because in the next minute, Jeph is coming in to ask him if he’s ready to go. Jeph’s face falls when he sees Mikey, sees what he has in his hands and the sad sort of disappointed look he has on his face, like Jeph is a fucking charity that needs his help. 

“What happened to the pills on my nightstand?” Mikey asks quietly, and Christ even his voice sounds sad. Jeph shrugs, trying to play dumb. He can’t tell Mikey that he’s been taking them, swallowing them two at a time all day desperately trying to get that first high back so instead of giving him a straight answer he just mumbles an “I don’t know.” And looks away. 

Mikey doesn’t believe that at all. “Jeph, give me a straight answer. Is this what you’ve been doing? Why we have no fucking money?” he asks, and he doesn’t mean to sound mad but he can’t help it. Jeph has been doing drugs, taking fucking prescription meds and not even giving a tiny hint that maybe he was struggling with something. Mikey would help, he’d gotten his brother out of it, and he could help Jeph out of it too. He wanted to, he loved Jeph so much and it made his heart twist to think that his boyfriend was struggling with the same thing his brother had fallen into years ago. 

“I said no, Mikey!” Jeph shouts, hands clenched into fists at his sides “Fucking no! I’m not a fucking drug addict, I-I don’t do that shit, I’m not like that!”. Mikey can tell from his reaction that this is it, he’s found the problem. This is why they almost lost their apartment, why his bass is gone and the man he loves is sad. The countless times he’s seen his boyfriend examining the new look of his body in the mirror, the way his skin stretches tight over his ribs and reveals the dips between each bone all makes sense now. He gets it, and he almost hates himself a little for not ‘getting it’ sooner. “Jeph no, baby it’s okay. You—you don’t have to be...defensive, it’s okay, we can...I can help you.” Mikey says, reaching out to touch Jeph’s arm but the other man flinches and draws away, taking a step back. 

“Mikey, no.” He says, shaking his head “I don’t need help, I’m not an addict and I don’t need your fucking help.” Jeph insists. Mikey goes to protest, his mouth barely open when Jeph brings his fist back and punches him square in the face “I said I don’t need your fucking help!” he shouts and Mikey doesn’t press it anymore, trying his best not to cry but he thinks his nose is broken and he can feel blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. 

“Okay,” Mikey agrees softly “You’re not an addict, you don’t need my help.”.


End file.
